


Hope

by kueble



Category: The Witcher (TV), Wiedźmin | The Witcher - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Getting Together, M/M, Sickfic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-31
Updated: 2020-12-31
Packaged: 2021-03-10 23:34:55
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,706
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28455447
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kueble/pseuds/kueble
Summary: Jaskier lets some things slip while he's knocked out on cold medicine. It ends up being more than ok.
Relationships: Geralt z Rivii | Geralt of Rivia/Jaskier | Dandelion
Comments: 8
Kudos: 158





	Hope

**Author's Note:**

> Written for the prompt: I confessed to you when I thought I was dying but I survived blah blah blah but its modern au Jaskier with the manflu so he was never actually "dying" to begin with

Jaskier is currently cocooned inside his blankets, wrapped up snugly and refusing to move. There’s a tiny opening that leaves his mouth free, and he coughs pathetically through it. His whole body is clammy and he hasn’t showered in a couple of days. He just knows he’s going to die here in his own filth. He just _knows_.

Someone taps on the top of his blanket burrito but he just growls at them, assuming they’ll leave him to die in peace. “I come bearing gifts,” Geralt’s rumbling voice announces as he starts unwrapping Jaskier.

“Don’t let the air in!” he cries out, making a valiant yet failing attempt at stopping Geralt from freeing him. He blinks slowly, hissing as the harsh light hits his eyes. His roommate just laughs at him and places a glass of water and two green pills in his hands. He’s about to deny the medicine, but Geralt raises an eyebrow and stares at him with this grumpy and lovable face, and Jaskier is helpless to do anything but obey.

“Do you want to take a shower? It might help,” Geralt suggests.

“Or might fall down and break my neck. I doubt I could stand right now. Let me perish in peace,” Jaskier says dramatically. He hates this, hates feeling less than his best or dependent on others, even if it’s just Geralt. _Just Geralt_. Just the guy he’s been in love with for years, who is taking care of him and making him feel even dizzier than the flu has.

“The Nyquil should help then,” Geralt offers as he takes the glass and sets it on Jaskier’s nightstand.

“Hold up! You gave me Nyquil! That makes me super loopy! I’m going to have weird nightmares now,” Jaskier grumbles, throwing in a pout for good measure.

“You’ll be fine,” Geralt tells him, rolling his eyes. There’s an undercurrent of worry in his expression, though, like he might just care. It’s enough to drive Jaskier insane. He’s been overthinking every little phrase, every casual touch, every heavy look for the past few years. He’s normally better at ignoring it - or at least pretending to - but the cold meds must be kicking in already.

“Last time I took Nyquil I had a dream that you died, Geralt. I don’t want to go through that again,” he mumbles. It had been horrible, waking up in the middle of the night sure that the love of his life has just bled out in his arms. He’d rather avoid it if he can.  
“Well budge over then,” Geralt tells him as he slides into the bed. He grabs the top sheet that Jaskier shoved over to the other side of the bed and settles under it. Jaskier tilts his head and silently questions the move, so Geralt adds, “If I sleep here tonight you won’t be alone. I’ll be here if you have a nightmare. Just get some sleep. I’m sure you’ll feel better tomorrow.”

Jaskier’s heart clenches in his chest and he just smiles at Geralt before sorting out his layers of blankets. And if he shifts closer to him, that’s nobody’s business but his own.

\---

“Geralt! Get back here! Geralt!” Jaskier shouts and Geralt jumps awake. His blood is pumping and he’s ready to fight, but there’s nothing there, just Jaskier crying out in his sleep.

A nightmare then.

Feeling guilty won’t help the situation, so Geralt ignores the little voice in his head telling him that this is all his fault. He reaches out and tentatively puts a hand on Jaskier’s shoulder, not to wake him, just to offer some comfort while he dreams.

“You can’t leave...I love you,” Jaskier sobs out, his whole body shaking with the force of it. Geralt stills, his gut a pit of anxiety as he tries to take in what just happened. How best friend - his only friend - and the possible love of his life just confessed in his sleep.

The Nyquil. It had to be fever dreams from the drugs. Geralt waits a minute to make sure he’s ok and then lays back down, ready to ignore his own feelings and go the fuck to sleep.

Only half a minute later Jaskier springs to life, actually crying as he shakes Geralt muttering, “Tell me you’re ok! Tell me you’re ok!”

“I’m fine, it was a dream,” Geralt tells him, reaching out to wrap and arm around him. Jaskier still looks half wild, hair sticking up in weird angles and eyes impossibly wide, but he just nods sharply and settles back down on the bed. He tucks up against Geralt, nuzzling into his shoulder as he starts to fall back to sleep.

“Have to be ok because I love you,” Jaskier whispers as he nods off.

Geralt spends the rest of the night staring at the ceiling and rethinking his entire life.

\---

When Jaskier wakes up, the morning light is streaming through his blinds and his head feels much better. He’s pretty sure the fever has broken, because he is suddenly very aware of exactly how gross his body is. He drags himself out of bed with a grimace and heads to the shower.

Half an hour later he’s clean and clear-headed for the first time in a week. He’s also ravenous, his stomach growling as he stumbles into the kitchen. Geralt is at the stove, scrambling eggs, and he shoots him a little wave before grabbing a bowl and filling it with Cheerios.

“You look better,” Geralt says, and his voice sounds off. Jaskier squints his eyes at him and studies him, but he’s not sure what the problem is. Maybe he said something stupid under the influence of the Nyquil? He hates that stuff, but it apparently did the trick, because he is definitely not dead anymore.

“Can’t keep a good man down,” Jaskier blurts out, laughing to himself as he dumps milk in his bowl.

“Do you uh...remember anything from last night?” Geralt asks softly. Oh yeah, he definitely did something embarrassing then. God, he hates Nyquil.

“I remember you taking care of me like the very best friend I could ever ask for?” Jaskier tells him, avoiding his gaze by shoving a heaping spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

“Ok. I mean, it was probably the cold meds. It was nothing. I’m being weird. I can’t stop talking. I’m being even weirder. Tell me to shut up, please!” Geralt spits out, looking more and more frantic by the second. 

Jaskier flies across the room and wraps him in a tight hug. It’s not often that his anxiety manifests like this, but hugs have always helped in the past. Geralt clings to him, but he’s twitchy, like he can’t keep still if he tried. He buries his face in Jaskier’s shoulder, effectively muffling any words that might try to slip out. Jaskier runs his hands down his back in what he hopes are comforting strokes. He doesn’t say anything, just holds him until his breathing evens out.

“Whatever I said that offended you, I’m so sorry. I would never hurt you on purpose,” Jaskier says once he thinks Geralt has settled himself.

“Not hurt. Just...a lot to take in. Gave me some hope for something that I didn’t think would happen,” Geralt whispers, and Jaskier squeezes him tighter. He hates to see him like this, so unsure of himself, and Jaskier would give anything to take away his fear.

“Tell me? Please, I just want to make it better,” Jaskier begs.

“You were dreaming about me but then you woke up in a panic, thinking something had happened. Once you realized I was fine you...you told me you loved me,” Geralt says softly, his voice laced with awe.

And Jaskier’s whole body just goes taut, his muscles clenching up as he starts to panic. Of course he’d say something dumb in his sleep. Why did he think asking Geralt to stay the night with him was a good idea? Now he’s going to have to find a new apartment, a new circle of friends. He wants nothing more than to go back to last night and redo everything. He’d rather have Geralt by his side as his friend than live as strangers because he couldn’t keep his feelings to himself while stoned off his ass on cold meds.

_Hope_.

Jaskier’s brain stalls as he realizes that Geralt said hope. As in he hopes to have him? He leans back just far enough to look at the other man’s face and asks, “Would it be ok if I did?”

“It would certainly make it easier if we both did,” Geralt agrees solemnly. And Jaskier could just hit him, but instead he laughs at what incredible idiots they’ve both been.

“I love you,” he says, beaming when Geralt smiles widely at him before cupping the back of his head in one hand and pulling him in for a kiss. His lips are slightly chapped and he tastes like cheap coffee, but he’s _Geralt_ so it’s the best kiss Jaskier has ever had. He whines deep in his throat when they break apart, but Geralt just grins at him again and he realizes that this is his new normal. He’s going to be able to drag him into a kiss whenever he wants, and Jaskier’s never felt so lucky.

“I love you, too,” Geralt murmurs against his lips before pressing another quick kiss there. Jaskier hums happily and leans into him, feeling so warm and adored that his body is bursting with it. He feels like he could compose a masterpiece right now, like the notes and the lyrics would just flow out of him if he lets them. He’s never felt this alive.

Then the fire alarm goes off and they both jump back. “Fuck! My eggs!” Geralt hollers, grabbing the burning pan from the stove top and tossing it into the sink. And as Jaskier finds himself giggling and perched on top of a step stool as he tugs the batteries out of the alarm, he realizes that his life is crazy and perfect. He gets to spend the rest of his days loving this adorable idiot and being loved in return.

**Author's Note:**

> Come play with me on [Tumblr](https://kueble.tumblr.com/)


End file.
